No, this is not a joke. The divinity schools at Duke and Vanderbilt Universities have instructed their professors to start using more “inclusive” language when referring to God because the masculine pronouns, title and imagery “have served as a cornerstone of the patriarchy.”

For example, Vanderbilt’s 2016-2017 divinity course catalogue instructs obliging professors to give “consistent attention to the use of inclusive language, especially in relation to the Divine,” because the school “commits continuously and explicitly to include gender as an analyzed category and to mitigate sexism.”

“It is up to the individual professor’s interpretation for their classes and is suggestive rather than mandatory,” the associate dean for academic affairs at Vanderbilt’s divinity school, Melissa Snarr, said in an e-mail to Heat Street.

Snarr also said that this ridiculous policy actually dates back to 1999. The document recommended “exploration of fresh language for God.”

Obviously this is talking about the Christian God of the Bible here. Every reference to Him in the Bible uses a masculine pronoun which makes it abundantly clear that God is male, not female.

And yet, Duke’s guidelines suggest avoiding gender specific pronouns when discussing Him and suggest using “God” and “Godself” instead.

(Yes — “Godself.”)

The Duke guidelines also instruct professors to forgo gendered metaphors for God. For instance, a professor might say “God is a parent to us all” instead of “a father ” or… “God knew Godself to be great.”

Another trick in the books is to mix gender in metaphors. So, a professor could say, for example, “God is the father who welcomes his son, but she is also the woman searching for the lost coin.”

“Referring to God in gender-neutral language can sound clumsy,” the Duke guidelines say, “but this is largely due to the fact that we are in a transitional period with our use of language. Imagination, patience, and diligence are required in order to use language that expands and enriches our understanding of God.”

Duke’s guidelines offers these suggestions “as a beginning point for developing a more inclusive language about God.”

The sad reality is that more and more Bible colleges and churches are selling out to this type of compromise in many core areas of the Christian faith.

Other prominent universities, who may not have set in motion radical moves like Duke and Vanderbilt have, have at least wrestled with how inclusive language policies can be integrated in to their divinity programs.

Why should that even be something for consideration?

Thankfully, there are the faithful few who are standing firm on Biblical teachings of the concept of distinct gender roles and patriarchy as a Biblical concept.

However there are others who are not so sure of where they stand. For example, the editors of the Harvard Theological Review wrote that “it is not always appropriate to employ inclusive language when referring to God or divine beings.”

I don’t think it’s ever right to employ “inclusive” language anywhere. The Bible makes it very clear that God has created and ordained two very separate, distinct gender roles. While equal in terms of worth, both have very different purposes. That should not be seen as somehow “non inclusive,” or “sexist” but rather a beautiful manifestation of the divine wisdom, thoughtfulness and purposefulness of God.

“Gender inclusive” language is also an issue in modern Bible translations where contemporary cultural pressures distort not only the wording, but also the meaning, of the original text of Scripture.

The bottom line is that “gender inclusive” language obscures the significance of man’s clearly defined role in the human race. This is something that the cultural Marxists and feminists are seeking to undermine and sadly churches, and Bible colleges are selling out to this compromise.

Language may change and culture may change but the word of God, the ordinances of God and the concept of who God is, never ever changes. Gender neutral pronouns may be politically correct, but they’re certainly not scripturally correct. And for any so-called Christian Bible school, to use PC language is a disgrace to both the Christian faith and a show of despite to that which God has divinely ordained.

The culture around us cannot and should not influence the Christian faith. Truth, a solid – not fluid or transitory – basis for what is morally correct and what is not, dictates that.

The cultural Marxists who are bent on destroying the Christian foundations of Western culture are in overdrive mode seeking to market sexual deviancy as being normal. To this end, they have launched social engineering campaigns in all aspects of society.

The most obvious deviancy dissemination programs are found in schools such as in Australia where despicable sex behaviour and experimentation is marketed to children as young as 4 through a program called ‘Safe Schools’ which is laughably packaged as an “anti-bullying” program.

Not only are schools promoting the sin of homosexuality, lesbianism, transgenderism and so forth, liberal churches are now doing this. These sins have been packaged as “alternate lifestyles” that must be embraced and accepted without question as the true sexual identity of any person.

Caleb Stephen is a conservative Christian commentator, columnist, freelance journalist, political activist and the founder and editor-in-chief of The Caleb Report. He is also the founder of Pursuit of God Daily and the founder and editor-at-large of Ultimate Survival Gear, Australia’s No. 1 emergency preparedness and education website. Visit his website www.calebstephen.com and follow him on Twitter @CalebSOfficial.

For today’s Christian, the surrounding culture is a hostile one with so much that is so diametrically opposed to the Christian faith. Being a Christian in this current climate is no easy walk in the park and that’s why so few are willing to commit to walking the narrow way.

In the new year that lies before us, the challenge will be greater than ever before. The enemies of God will wage a fierce war and it will be more intense and more targeted than anything we’ve tasted before.

I can tell you that as the new year gets underway, we will see more Christian bakers, florists, pastors and TV stars, who dare to be public about their faith and stand up for Biblical beliefs, viciously attacked by the cultural Marxist mafia.

I want you to seriously ask yourself whether you’re prepared to be one of those people persecuted for the sake of Christ. Are you ready for it?

You don’t even need to be someone in the public spotlight all the time to come under fire for even identifying as a Christian. You don’t need to be a journalist or a TV star to be persecuted. Last year alone, we saw numerous cases of humble bakers and florists feel the heat for refusing to compromise, for refusing to back down on their Christian beliefs when it comes to supplying services for homosexual “weddings.”

You see, as Christians we are told to expect persecution and to be prepared for it. Persecution not in the sense of us being mean, malevolent and bigoted but merely for the fact that we represent and live out the teachings of Christ in the way that He has instructed us to.

If you want to live a godly life, well then you will suffer persecution 100% guaranteed. Persecution is part and parcel of the genuine Christian life.

2 Timothy 3:12 says: “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” Notice the verse says will, not maybe or perhaps.

I know what you’re thinking. You think “oh but that’s really radical.” Yes it is. The Christian faith is a radical one. It’s one of becoming a new creature in Christ, it’s about dying to self and being willing to suffer, to be humiliated and perhaps even die for Christ.

Our Lord was radical. He wasn’t regarded as popular amongst the people of His day. He was doing things and saying things that rocked the boat and made people hate Him to the point that they killed Him – which was in God’s plan of course. In John 15:18, Christ says: “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”

When truth comes into contact with evil, there will always inevitably be conflict. As Dr Francis Schaeffer rightly said: “Truth carries with it confrontation.”

What does it mean to truly be a disciple of Christ?

Luke 9:23 has a blunt answer: Then He [Jesus] said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

Christ’s command to the believer is clear: to forsake all that pertains to worldliness and carnality and follow after him. This is the radical transformation of the individual from a creature who believes that life is all about gaining, achieving and receiving in the pursuit of self glorification to a person who has been crushed in humility and is obedient and willing to forsake all and give all for the sake of Christ.

Luke 6:22 tells us that we are “blessed” when we are hated, excluded and kicked out for Christ’s sake.

Matt 5: 13 – 16 says “13 You are the light of the world. 14 A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Notice that it doesn’t say you will be the light of the world. It says you are the light of the world. That means anyone who calls themselves a Christian is to live light. That’s a directive, not an option.

In Matthew 10:16 Christ says “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

The ability to truly forgive those who commit wrongdoing against us certainly doesn’t come naturally. However, a really amazing story popped up just a few days ago in a number of mainstream media outlets which really illustrated the power of genuine Christian forgiveness in a poignant way. This is the perfect example of what it means to ‘walk the talk’ through real life action. [Read more…]

How time flies! 2017 is less than a day away. As I look back and reflect over the past year, it’s been filled with many challenges, many hardships, many tragedies, many blessings and many unsettling things going on in the world.

Politically we saw the election of Donald Trump in a landslide victory, the fall of liberalism, the alarming rise of Islamic terrorism, the failed Open Doors policy in Germany, the BREXIT victory, the rise of populism in many Western countries.

Socially, we saw some serious advancements in the decay of Christian values and morality. Deplorable things such as same-sex marriage, abortion, euthanasia and many more were pushed to the forefront by the cultural Marxists. We also saw a lot of oppression, persecution and malevolent behaviour against Christians and the Christian faith in general.

Economically, many Western countries experienced unprecedented debt and third world countries saw unprecedented levels of financial hardship. Even as I write this, India and Venezuela are suffering from the effects of a collapsed economy.

Let’s lay aside all the bad things of this past year and let’s move on armed with hope, courage and fortitude of the victories of today into the future.

I believe 2017 can be a great year for change worldwide. But change starts with each of us. We – all of us – can be the catalysts for change. In 2017, once the revelling’s all over, life will go on as usual. We must be ready to be used of the Lord for his purposes to change the world and promote God’s truth as found in His written word.

Matthew 5:14-16 says:

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Notice that it says “you are the light of the world” not “you will become the light of the world”! As Christians we are the light of the world. That is one of our tasks as followers of Christ. It is not an assumption nor is it an option it is a directive from our Commanding Officer – Jesus Christ. So if you’re not being a light in the world… in the darkness, then you had better be because this is what God requires of you as a born again Christian!

Are we being a light to the world around us? Are we truly?

We must not hide our light. It must be visible. It must be seen. It must shine forth and radiate brightly! We must not be timid. We must not be afraid! We must stick out as though we were a city on top of a hill!

Our good works do not make us better Christians, they make us better reflections of the power of Jesus Christ.

I want tell you that the real hope for the future of the world is not in politics or anything else. It’s in the spiritual realm. It’s always been that way. It will always be that way and we are assured of this in Scripture.

Despite the changing political, economic and social climates, we can be confident in the fact that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Whilst the world changes, He remains the same. While the world is faithless, He remains faithful.

I don’t know what 2017 holds but we can take comfort in the fact that the Lord is in control over everything. Because we know He holds the future, we have no reason to be fearful.

I know one thing is certain and that is there will be more and more challenges from those who will seek with great determination to jackhammer the foundations of the Christian faith and tear through the very fabric Western society which is based on Judaeo-Christian values.

Despite the fierceness and tenacity of Satan’s army, we can be assured that the gates of hell will never ever prevail against the church of Jesus Christ (Matt 16:18).

We live in unprecedented times and if you are a child of God, you’ve got to be willing to stand in the gap for the sake of Christ. You’ve got to be willing to defend the faith that you espouse and you’ve got to be willing to stand up for freedom, truth and Christian value against the immoral tide of the left wing masses.

You’ve got to be a soldier as scared, small and helpless as you may feel. God’s with you and because of that glorious truth, none of us have any reason to fear!

2 Corinthians 5:20 reminds us: “now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”

We have the hope of God! And because we have that hope we can share it with the world around us – a lost and dying world that is thirsty and hungry for something better. And what better fulfilment than to find Jesus Christ, the fountain of living waters? The only one who can truly quench the infinite wells of longing and desire in the human heart.

God has given us a command to be His ambassadors. Let’s do it to the best of our ability in 2017! Make it your #1 New Year’s resolution to live for Christ, to be a “radical” Christian by forsaking all worldliness and living, sacrificing and labouring for Christ in the way that he has commanded each of us to.

For His Glory,

Caleb S. Stephen

Editor in Chief of The Caleb Report, freelance journalist and international columnist